With the wide and wild range of firearm instruction available to the public today, it can be hard to distinguish the good instructors from the bad on social media. When we find the good ones, we like to share them with the world so we can all have the chance to learn from the best. Two of our RECOIL editors got the chance to attend the grand opening ofBRVO Tactical’s Sierra 1training site in Arizona, up in the mountains north of Phoenix. It was a weekend filled with good times, great instruction, and some amazing sunsets.
Meet The Instructors
BRVO Tactical was founded by a mix of Army SF (a.k.a. Green Beret) and Arizona SWAT team members who combined their experiences and talents with outstanding results.
The founder and lead instructor, who we’ll call simply “BRVO” for now, is still on active duty in Army Special Forces and is the senior 18B on his team. Thus the name BRVO (pronounced “Bravo”) Tactical. An expert in a wide range of tactics, weapons, and training, he offers an exemplary mix of know-how and communication to teach shooters of every skill level.
BRVO Tactical’s other lead instructor Mike Wallace brings over 20 years of police experience and 17 years of SWAT experience, 16 of those as a SWAT sniper. Mike is also the mind behind most of the design and construction of the Sierra 1 site. From Mike’s brain to reality, the Sierra 1 site sports an impressive range of training options that feel like an amusement park for shooting enthusiasts. And they aren’t even close to being done with all the plans.
Other staff at BRVO Tactical include more active-duty SWAT officers, firefighter medics, and military veterans — each experts in their fields who have a clear passion for sharing what they know.
Grand Opening Event
Officially launched in late June 2024, the grand opening was an awesome display of what BRVO Tactical has to offer. Less of a weekend dedicated to training any single discipline and more a demo of all the options, the grand opening was an event I’m glad to have been a part of… even if my weekend started rough with a doe elk jumping in front of my truck on the drive up.
7,000 Feet Closer To The Arizona Sun
To find the exact location of Sierra 1, you’ll have to attend a class, and you absolutely should. But to set the stage, the land at BRVO Tactical is beautiful just as a natural environment. Before the guns come out and the air fills with the scent of spent powder, you need to take a moment and just soak in the wonderful setting of the 100-acre property nestled on top of Arizona’s Mogollon Rim.
At around 7k feet of elevation, training is possible even in July. While Phoenix bakes at 110 degrees, it is a much more comfortable mid-80s at the Sierra 1 site.
Camping on-site is recommended and doesn’t cost extra, but hotels are available about 40 minutes from the location. I highly recommend camping. Whether you bring a tent, sleep in your car, or tow in an RV trailer, it’s worth it to spend each evening around the campfire getting to know the instructors and your fellow shooters.
Flat Range
A flat range is a flat range in most cases, but what you do with the flat range is what makes all the difference.
Day one of the grand opening involved some simple drills and instruction, mostly for the instructors to see how well the students did and to ensure we were all safe and sane shooters.
Day two on the flat range ratcheted up the intensity with a competition stage for the shooters to test their mettle on. BRVO Tactical doesn’t go easy on anyone, so come prepared to run, sweat, and shoot with an elevated heart rate. The flat range competition stage included carrying a heavy bag of sand about 50 yards before engaging steel targets from several props, including a tank trap, tractor tire, and vertical post.
The steel went from a small torso size down to a plate only a few inches round. Making hits while winded is a skill that never hurts to develop.
BRVO Tactical has no shortage of creative shooting stations or targets for the flat range and can really turn up the difficulty when they want. Maybe next time they’ll have us roll or flip those tractor tires before shooting, as they’ve done in previous courses.
Bay Two
A mid-range bay that looks out over the rolling hills of the property, steel targets can be found scattered in all sorts of places. From 100 yards out to over 700 yards, Bay Two has a lot to offer. If you want to train precision shooting, shooting around or through the brush, or doing some positional shooting out of the Humvee, Bay Two is awesome.
The possibilities for this range are nearly endless and make for a great area to ease you into the longer shots possible on the land.
Day One was filled with positional shooting and getting our rifles dialed in for shots to at least 300 yards with some special targets closer to 600. Having sniper instructors calling hits and misses makes life easier and got even the newest shooter with just a red dot to connect on steel.
From wood props to tripods to the back of the Humvee, BRVO Tactical makes just a few pieces of equipment transform into a plethora of instructional opportunities.
Day Two on Bay Two was another stage that sounded easier than it was in practice. There were 5 steel pistol targets and 5 rifle targets, with 1 hit per target required and no penalty for immediate re-engagements. The pistol steel was placed at about 10 yards and the small gongs were a quick clean sweep for me. The rifle targets ranged from about 150 yards out to a little over 300 yards, and had to be engaged while making contact with any part of a wood tank trap. Again, not crazy hard, but very fun.
I don’t mind bragging a little — I managed to pull the best time on Bay Two.
As a civilian shooter, CQB isn’t something I had a chance to be exposed to yet, so getting some room clearing instruction from people who knew what they were doing was a great piece of training for me.
Focusing on single-man door entry and room clearing (since most of the class were civilians and the most likely time we would need to do this is clearing our own home), the staff broke the room into two sections. The SF instructor took one group of students and the SWAT instructor took the other half before the groups switched.
Getting to see two styles and two schools of thought at almost the same time was not only interesting but highly educational.
Big Red
Named after one of our own — Patrick, the man in charge atRECOIL OFFGRID— Big Red is a long and rugged trail that serves as a great way of leveling the playing field for students to see where they fall short.
I won’t spoil all the details, but it involves several minutes of running over natural terrain and making hits out to 300 yards in some tricky conditions. If a target is missed, it can be engaged with a second shot, but two misses incurs a hefty 30-second penalty, so you’ll need to be careful and make every round count.
Big Red is fun. Hard, but very fun. Every student was gassed by the end, but grinning ear-to-ear and expressing a desire to go again.
More to Come
BRVO Tactical isn’t finished building everything they want to build. But given the way they approach training, they may never be totally finished. There is always something new you can do, or a new curveball they can throw to keep you on your toes.
From sniper towers to second run-and-gun course to more CQB buildings, BRVO Tactical has more coming.
The land at the Sierra 1 site is amazing. The training courses are impressive. But it is the staff that makes it worth it. Finding good education isn’t easy, but the guys in charge at BRVO Tactical are excellent.
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Editor's Note: The following article on situational awareness was written by Yousef Badou, the founder of Emergence, a company that offers behavioral analysis and threat identification training to government agencies and Fortune 500 companies. For more on Yousef's background, read our interview “Predatory Premonition” from Issue 37 of Offgrid magazine.
Yousef in one of Saddam’s palaces after the Invasion of Iraq in 2003.
Task, Condition, Standard — this was the mantra beaten into my head as a young Marine heading off to war, and it again followed me back when I landed in the School of Infantry to teach the Combat Hunter Program for the next decade. What am I supposed to do, what’s going to affect me doing it, and how do I know if I did it right? When it comes to situational awareness and understanding the signals the environment is giving all the time, it’s very hard to quantify these answers on paper.
If you look at the term “situational awareness,” it’s right there in the name — situational. It’s completely subjective to the individual and what they bring to the table regarding education, training, and experiences. Just like in combat, when seconds count and your life depends on making the right decision, being able to evaluate your own level of situational awareness is critical. So how do I go about teaching you how to be aware of your surroundings and look for pre-event indicators of a threat?
If I tell you that someone is moving toward you at a faster pace than the crowd around them, they have exaggerated arm swings, and they are red in the face, this person might be preparing to do violence based on the indicated behaviors. However, what if their attention isn’t actually directed at you, but at someone behind you? What if it’s not anger you’re seeing, but a medical event? Are you standing right in front of the entrance to a public bathroom? If that’s the case, you might want to get out of the way.
Situational Awareness Across Industries
Above: Countless real-world tragedies have proven the importance of threat awareness, especially in crowded public areas.
It’s different for everyone, and it even varies from industry to industry. For example, when a pilot talks about situational awareness, they’re usually referring to their instrumentation, the flight of the aircraft, and other aircraft in the vicinity. Firefighters, on the other hand, use situational awareness to understand where their team is, where the fire is, and, most importantly, where the fire could potentially spread. Therefore, it’s important to be aware of the different types of situational awareness and how they can be applied in different situations. By doing so, you’ll be better prepared to handle whatever comes your way.
There’s a lot of variables at play when it comes to situational awareness. And because of all this variation, there’s no way I can teach everyone how to be perfectly aware with all these different variables in one article. So, let’s dial down the problem and teach you how to evaluate the level of your own personal awareness and what you might need to improve.
Your Situational Awareness “Shot Group”
We’ll do this over a series of articles together as we build out your Personal Awareness Shot Group Evaluator. It basically works like a visual for different sections of skills you have or need to improve on. On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being a bull’s-eye, 1 being the edge of the target), you’ll “plot” the awareness skills you need for your everyday life. Depending on what you do, this pie might only have two wedges or it might have 10, but at the end of this article you need to plot honestly where you are on the pie. The closer the shot group, the more Jason Bourne you are. The wider the shot group, the more comatose you are.
Situational Awareness First Wedge: Specific Threat Knowledge
In this first section, you’re going to learn about a specific threat in your area or something that you’ve been worrying about. Your subconscious has a funny way of keeping these things locked up, but by asking some questions, you can bring this information to the surface. Depending on what your background is, the answer to these will vary pretty widely. If you want to build out the wedges in your pie, you need to ask yourself specific questions about your situation and violence that could happen to you.
How could someone hurt me physically?
Be reasonable when you answer these questions and don’t let paranoia take effect. Most people aren’t being hunted down by ISIS. Look to crime statistics, news reporting about violence, and common accidental injuries and apply this data to your situation. If you’re a in law enforcement profession, this list will probably be pretty wide and varied. If you work remotely from home and enjoy a normal family life, you’ll have a shorter list.
How would they do it?
Are there any observable patterns being followed? Same car, same time, same amount of people, etc. What is the bad guy’s typical modus operandi?
What are the observable threat indicators?
Are there any visual indicators that they are about to conduct a crime or violent act? The precious few seconds you have before violence can make or break your response, so look for any hints that an act is about to pop off. Search for news articles with CCTV footage of violent crimes in your area and study the actions of the perpetrators seconds before the event. After watching a few incidents, you’re likely to begin seeing some recurring patterns.
Situational Awareness Assessment Example
Above: Consider your lifestyle and the most likely threats you may face. If your whole list sounds like a run-down of scenes from an action movie, you’re probably not being honest with yourself.
Let’s imagine I am the head of my family and there are reports of “follow-home home invasions” in my neighborhood. I’m a software engineer and know nothing about home invasions. This would put my “shot” on the outside of the target, so I’d have a lot of work to do to become better prepared. I read in the news report that the victim of a recent attack survived but suffered blunt-force trauma to the head when one assailant struck him with a tire iron. The other four perpetrators carried tire irons too. They followed the victim home from their place of work and attacked when the victim was stepping out of their car.
How can someone hurt me physically?
Multiple assailants, at least four, using blunt objects in a robbery attempt.
How would they do it?
Based on the only report I have, it appears these assailants used a late-model Honda Civic with tinted windows. They laid in wait at the parking lot of the victim and followed them home to the residence. When the victim stepped from the vehicle, the assailants drove the vehicle into the driveway at a high speed, blocking the victim. They waited until they were out of the car so they could get the keys and force the victim into the home. The victim was struck in the first few seconds of the assault, so they’re quick to use violence.
Observable Threat Indicators
Late-model Honda with tinted windows
Multiple individuals waiting in car
Lurking vehicle in victim’s workplace
Following the victim home
Sudden acceleration into driveway
Screeching tires
Tire irons
So, now that I did my research on these home invasions, I can move my shot on this pie wedge closer to the middle. From a 1 to a 3. Good enough, right? Wrong! You’re on the paper, but you’re still not hitting black. You have to apply this information; it’s not enough to just understand academically. You have to extrapolate as much info as you can.
Above: When faced with a violent threat, it’s all too easy to freeze up or tell yourself “this can’t be happening.” Preparation and forethought can help you avoid these instinctive reactions.
A Smart Person Would…
A savvy person who wants to move that shot from a 3 to a 7 wouldn’t only research and write all these things out, but they’d also disseminate the info to their people. For the above example, you could take your findings and let your neighbors and local associations know what to look for, and now you’re building an in-depth defense around your neighborhood. It doesn’t just have to be you out there by yourself, Captain America.
But a Ninja…
If you want to be a true ninja when it comes to personal safety, you need to be proactive. You can’t just sit around and wait for something bad to happen. Get out there and touch the grass, talk to your neighbors, and establish a baseline for what’s the normal pattern of life on your street. After all, you can’t know what’s abnormal if you don’t know what the norm is in the first place. By being proactive and establishing a baseline, you’ll be able to see when something new is introduced and take steps to protect yourself accordingly. So, go ahead and get out there — your neighborhood needs you.
Situational Awareness Second Wedge: Response to Violence
How you react to a threat of violence is determined long before the threat actually appears. It’s based on a combination of factors, but the biggest one is your exposure to real-world violence (not TV and movies). So, if we’ve researched the threat and its indicators, do we have the ability to counter it? The training, physicality, tools, or systems developed to prevent threats can’t just sit around gathering dust — we have to train and develop them all the time. Otherwise, we’re sitting ducks.
If you’re not used to violence or threats, you’re up against a lot when it comes to reacting quickly in a dangerous situation. Your brain and eyes are working against you, with cognitive loads, channel capacity, denial, and more factors all slowing down your reaction time. But there are things you can do to train yourself to react more quickly in a crisis. By getting familiar with the signs of danger and practicing your responses, you can learn to overcome the natural hesitation that can cost you precious seconds in an emergency. With some practice, you’ll be better prepared to handle whatever comes your way.
Deny Denial
When it comes to personal awareness, one of the most dangerous traps you can fall into is denial. In a split-second, your brain tries to protect you from the shock of seeing something threatening by telling you it can’t be real. “There’s no way that guy just punched him,” or “There’s no way he just pulled out a gun.” But unfortunately, denial can cost you your life. The best way to protect yourself is to be aware of this trap and be ready to face the reality of a threat, no matter how shocking or unthinkable it may seem. By staying calm and focused, you can give yourself a fighting chance in any situation. Use these techniques to slam a lid on denial if you ever find yourself in a violent situation and you don’t know what to do.
Above: Once we get past “this can’t be happening,” the next reaction is often “why is this happening?” Both responses are a waste of precious time — accept what’s happening and take action as quickly as possible.
Stop Stopping
This line was shamelessly stolen from an Iron Man movie, and it’s one of the best pieces of advice for anyone who finds themselves dealing with violence. Stop stopping! Whatever you’re doing, keep doing it. If all you can do is run, then run and keep going. Once you cease your momentum in these events, it’s very hard to start again due to fear, so keep fighting.
Improve Your Position
I used to hear this often when training for jiujitsu. If you’re on your back, try to get to your side; if you’re on top, try to go full mount. Always improve your position. This might mean barricading yourself in a room or fashioning school chairs into weapons. Notice I highlighted try. You might be completely exhausted, in pain and hopeless, but you never stop trying.
You’re the Leader
Most people will default to denial and inaction when faced with a threat or violence. This can get you hurt just as much as your own actions. If you look around the room when a violent event kicks off and there’s not someone up there hollering orders at people and getting them moving, then, guess what, buttercup? You’re it. Get loud, use your hands to direct people, and even put your hands on them to get them moving, because no one else is doing anything. Carpe that diem!
Delete the Word “Why”
When violence or a threat erupts, the last thing you need to ask yourself is why. Why is a word for later, why is a word for the detectives to ask after they clean up the mess. If someone is moving toward me in an aggressive fashion with a brick in their hand, then why doesn’t matter. Nor do I care. I’m just trying to figure out how to take possession of said brick.
Closing Thoughts
Above: The best way to overcome violence is to avoid it entirely. Proactive situational awareness can help you do exactly that.
So, if you’ve been following along “plotting your shots,” you should have a circle with two pie wedges. One shot in the “Specific Threat Knowledge” category and another labeled “Response to Threat.” If you had zero exposure to this knowledge, you should’ve started off somewhere near the edge of the target with both shots, but by understanding how to evaluate yourself, we can now move those shots closer to the middle. I’ll be filling out more sections in the next two articles of this series, so make sure to follow along until the end. Every one of these sections builds on the other and just one missing component can ruin your day.
So, how did you do? How aware are you of your surroundings, and what can you do to improve upon that awareness? The situational awareness “Shot Group” is a great starting point, but it’s not the be-all and end-all. There will always be new situations to face and challenges to overcome, so keep honing your skills and stay vigilant. Remember, situational awareness isn’t about being paranoid or living in a state of constant fear; it’s about being prepared for anything that comes your way. With that preparation comes peace of mind and an increased chance of survival should the unexpected happen.
About the Author
Yousef Badou is the owner and founder of Emergence, a service-disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB) providing behavioral awareness training to Fortune 500 companies, military, and other government agencies. Yousef began his journey into security training after multiple deployments with the United States Marine Corps. He’s an Arabic speaker and former infantryman, along with being the longest-standing member of the USMC Combat Hunter Training Program. With so many threats on the horizon, Yousef believes the best way to disrupt these threats is through education on pre-event indicators and behaviors of violence. www.emergencedisrupt.com
When people think of winter, they think of holidays, family, snowmen, and skating. What can be a fun time can also become a disaster if you’re ill prepared. Things that seem trivial the rest of the year can become a life-or-death scenario when the mercury plunges. Sometimes a sudden emergency becomes a double whammy if it occurs during inclement weather. Did you prepare for both? Are you ready for an extended winter hike?
It doesn’t matter if you’re traveling by car to a mountain resort and have a breakdown, or if civil unrest has forced you to move, the time of year or location in which these events unfold can create additional complications. If you planned only for what might happen during favorable conditions, you’re only halfway there — and that may cost you more than you bargained for.
If you need to bug out on foot in frigid conditions, heed these seven recommendations so you can make it safely to your destination. As a Canadian Army veteran and outdoors enthusiast, this author learned them the hard way and reviews them every winter.
Winter Hiking Tip #1: Don’t Eat Yellow (Or White) Snow
As obvious as not eating yellow snow may be, some people don’t realize that eating snow in general is a bad idea. The unsuspecting or desperate might eat snow thinking it’s a safe source of water. However, consuming snow lowers your body temperature, which has cascading effects. Your body’s internal furnace has to fire itself up to melt the snow and to warm you by using additional calories that you shouldn’t be wasting.
We’ve all been there as children — eating mouthfuls of snow only to get a brain freeze and the shivers. Instead, you should do everything in your power to warm the snow until it melts. A metal vessel (i.e. a stainless steel water bottle) and methods to make a fire can aid in this. Don’t have a lighter or ferrocerium rod? Improvise. Place the white stuff inside a container and then place that somewhere in your car’s engine compartment to warm it.
Start thinking of heat sources that won’t lower your core temperature. The warm water will let you retain your energy for more important things, like not turning into a meat Popsicle.
Winter Hiking Tip #2: Practice Your Snow Walking
If part of your winter bug-out routine involves snowshoes or cross-country skis, don’t let the first time you use them be when things go haywire. When you first put a pair of snowshoes on, you’ll look like Bambi trying to walk for the first time. You need to work on your coordination and understanding of how to properly use snowshoes or skis before using them in an emergency. The first time this author slapped on some snowshoes and a rucksack, it led to smashing his knees on ice.
That old saying, “practice makes perfect” certainly applies. Start with just your regular winter clothing and some light snow to get familiar with walking or skiing. Get a feel for its texture, how much energy it takes to navigate, and how quickly you become exhausted.
Then with practice, start breaking trail in the rough stuff when you work up your endurance levels. Once you get comfortable with that, add some gear into the mix to increase weight. After all, you might be carrying a child or your other belongings. Being lost and stranded is not the time to break in your snow footwear for the first time or see if skiing is as easy as it looks on TV.
Winter Hiking Tip #3: Pack On the Calories
Everything in the winter takes more effort and, by proxy, more calories. What you should be looking for — and should bring with you if you plan to travel through cold environments — is calorie-dense, high-protein food. Things like power and protein bars are perfect for this. They don’t require heat, are portable, and are small and long-lasting enough that they can be eaten on the move. Forget about your girlish figure; your vanity won’t keep you alive.
Certain MREs tend to freeze in the cold and require a heat source, such as a fire or using up your precious supply of water in a ration heater. If you’re not worried about the fire aspect, freeze-dried food is a top choice when it comes to weight-to-calorie ratio. Add some boiled water and you have a warm and filling meal. They’ve been a staple of special operation forces units and mountaineers tackling Everest for many years. Although they’re generally heavier and require more work to prepare, they’re a great option for emergency food.
Winter Hiking Tip #4: Get Your Iditarod On
If you grew up in colder climates, you probably spent some time on a sled. However, we’ll bet few have thought about using it to pull supplies so you don’t have to carry them on your person. It turns out that packs aren’t always the best option when it comes to winter travel, because they require more energy to carry. We aren’t suggesting you ditch your pack, just put it in a sled. The more weight you have on your person, the harder it is to walk in snow. Pulling a sled doesn’t consume as much energy.
You need wider snowshoes to compensate for the added weight and to provide more traction. Otherwise you end up sinking further into the snow. You can attach some pipes and rope to a sled to make a harness to tug your gear behind you. The pipes will stop the sled from running over you when you start to head downhill.
The Canadian military uses toboggans to transport heavy arctic tents. And who can forget using dogs if you have the means to do so?
Just like walking in the snow, pulling items on a sled requires practice. Don’t assume it’ll be easy. Try it out with some practice runs, and maybe you can create fun games like having a race with your family. This will help you get a better idea of the difficulty required when the situation calls for it so you can prepare accordingly.
Winter Hiking Tip #5: Don’t Wear Too Little … or Too Much
Now that you’re moving at a steady pace down a trail, you’ll likely heat up no matter how cold it is outside. Ignoring this can be fatal.
Sure, you’re warm now, but when you stop you’re in for a world of hurt. Your body sweats to cool you off through evaporation, and winter will exacerbate that matter tenfold. You should wear layers that you can remove and add as necessary during your hard slog through the snow. This will help you reduce your perspiration and make things a lot better for you when your activity level drops.
However, the opposite can also happen. You need clothing that’s warm enough that you won’t freeze to death, even while you’re active. If you’re driving down a country road in the winter with nothing more than a leather jacket, you’ll be in big trouble if you need to be outside when it’s 20 below zero. Unfortunately, this happens fairly regularly — a car gets stuck, driver goes to look for help, and ends up dead.
In December 2006, James Kim, a TechTV host, did just that. He read a map wrong during a road trip from Seattle to his home of San Francisco, resulting in him and his family being stranded in snow on a remote road. After running out of fuel and burning their tires to signal rescuers, Kim left on foot to find help, leaving his wife and kids in the car. He never returned. The family was found alive by a helicopter pilot, and James’ body was recovered days later.
Even if you’re just running out for a quick errand, try to make sure you have weather-appropriate clothes tucked away in your vehicle. You never know when you might need them.
Winter Hiking Tip #6: Create a Snow Shelter
If you’re setting out on foot into that white expanse most would call Hoth but what we call fall, winter, and spring in Canada, you’ll need a way to keep yourself warm when you’re sleeping. Packing a tent or a sleeping bag that isn’t rated for low temperatures will make you end up like Luke Skywalker without a tauntaun.
The first type of shelter you can use involves natural things, like a fallen tree or snow itself. You can tunnel into the snow, build a mini igloo, or dig under a coniferous tree’s branches to create an area that you can sleep in. A shelter will isolate you from the wind and provide air that’ll warm up with your presence and act as an insulator. (See “Snow Way Out” for a full how-to on this subject in Issue 11 of our sister publication, RECOIL.)
Another option is a tipi — yup, you can still get these. Several companies like Seek Outside and Kifaru make lightweight tipis that are easy to set up and have provisions for adding a titanium wood stove. This means you not only get to survive the night, but you might have the energy to make yourself some spruce tea before bed. The shape of a tipi allows it to withstand high winds and shrug off snow quite well.
Winter Hiking Tip #7: Don’t be a Gambler
When you’re cold and alone, you shouldn’t rely on luck. Lightning won’t set a nearby tree on fire to keep you warm — no matter how much you wish, pray, or wager bets. Instead, you need to work for it. Wintertime is comprised of unique challenges: water is frozen everywhere, tinder (not the app on your phone) is hard to find, and your dexterity will be diminished. This is why you should train no matter what the weather conditions are outside, so that you’ll be ready when the time comes.
Things like birch bark will be your best friend. It contains oils that make it largely waterproof. Those same oils produce a good hot flame when hit with a spark from a ferro rod. Do you know how to identify a birch tree? Time to start learning them by sight.
Also remember to provide extra oxygen for the fire. We like the Epiphany Outdoor Pocket Bellows for this. It allows a steady stream of oxygen to be pushed where it’s needed while being lit. This, in turn, makes the fire hotter, allowing damp or frozen wood to catch. This may be one of the last points on the list, but you can see how crucial it is to the aforementioned points.
No matter what survival scenario you may encounter, we can’t stress enough getting appropriate training and actually practicing with your gear that you might end up needing one day. Sitting around hoping to get a lucky break or figuring out the instructions for the first time is not what you want if time is a factor for your survival. Also, don’t just play with your gear in your house — use it in adverse conditions like rain, slush, or heat. These seven pointers may just help you get your family to safety instead of the morgue.
It's a Wrap
We’re all guilty of wearing shoes that aren’t appropriate for the weather. (Hey, we’re all a little vain.) That’s why we like NEOS Overshoes. They can be worn around your normal footwear, as long as they aren’t heels or something weird, and will keep your feet warm and dry. Furthermore, they work with snowshoes. www.overshoe.com
Hypothermia Paradox
Be able to recognize the signs of hypothermia. One of the strangest ones, and a sign that you’re not doing well, is paradoxical undressing. As hypothermia progresses, you’ll start to strip off clothes no matter how cold you are. If you or a loved one suddenly has the urge to get a little sexy, start finding extra layers of clothes, some shelter, and a heat source ASAP.
Winter Vehicle Kit
Some basic vehicle-based kit to have includes:
Snow shoes*
Shovel
Traction pads
Tow rope
Food and water (don’t leave water in the car to freeze)
Warm clothing and blankets*
A lighter or fire-starter*
* Not pictured. See “On the Cover” on page 8 of Issue 17 for full specs.
About the Author
Ryan Houtekamer might be a close relative to yetis and sasquatches because he actually enjoyed winter exercises while in the Canadian Army. Ryan works on the “why use an axe when you can push the tree over” philosophy. Born and raised in Canada, he lives in a small town that has more trails near it than people living in it.
When you hear the phrase “fire escape”, you may think of the metal platforms and stairs mounted alongside multi-story apartment buildings. While that is a commonly-used term, there's a lot more to escaping a fire than simply climbing out a window and using the stairs. Unless you enjoy the thought of standing on the street in your pajamas while watching everything you own burn to a crisp, it's essential to plan ahead and prepare for a fire in your home.
This may be called a “fire escape”, but it should NOT be the extent of your plan for escaping a blaze.
As we've mentioned in our previous article on fire prevention, fire poses a serious threat to both your safety and your property. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, a total of 379,500 residential buildings were affected by fire in 2014. This led to thousands of deaths, billions of dollars in damages, and untold loss of pets, priceless family items, and other sentimental valuables.
The Unprepared Course of Action
To help this sink in, let's imagine a hypothetical scenario:
It's a few days before Christmas, and you've been sitting on the couch watching Die Hard (a Christmas tradition) and enjoying some beers after a long day at work. Your kids are in bed already, and your wife just headed upstairs half an hour ago. You wanted to finish the movie and your drink, but your eyes are getting heavy. You flip off the TV and go to bed, forgetting to extinguish a candle in the hallway on your way up.
Candles are one of the most common sources of residential fires.
Not long after closing your eyes and drifting off to sleep, you're awoken by the piercing sound of a smoke alarm. Sitting bolt upright in bed, you notice a thick haze of smoke in the air, and fight the urge to cough as you shake your wife awake. You run to grab the kids, and rush downstairs. Choking smoke is everywhere, and you can hear the crackling of flames. You head for the front door, but the wall is already burning, as well as the table that once held the candle. Stumbling through the kitchen with your wife and kids, you're able to make it out onto the patio, smoke billowing from the door frame above your head.
You hadn't thought to grab your cell phone in the rush, so you pound on a neighbor's door and ask them to call 911. Minutes tick by, and your home continues to burn as firefighters roll up. The trucks douse the blaze, but by the time it's extinguished, over half your house is destroyed by fire. The other half is soaked in water. Your stomach sinks as you realize you've lost everything you own.
Formulating a Fire Escape Plan
It's hard to imagine everything you own vanishing overnight, especially if you've been preparing a bug-in plan for other sorts of emergencies. All your stockpiled food, water, medical supplies, weapons, and other belongings could be gone in a heartbeat. And more often than not, staying put and trying to “ride it out” is not an option. You'll need to assess the situation, protect what you can, grab a few key items, and be out the door in seconds. Any other choice could spell death.
The above scenario may be imaginary for us, but it affects hundreds of thousands of Americans each year. Just as you shouldn't rely wholly on paramedics to keep you healthy and safe, you shouldn't rely completely on firefighters to save your home from a fire. Even the best firefighters in the world can't stop a fire before it starts.
So, how should you plan for a home structure fire? There are three topics to consider: prevention, preparation, and escape.
Prevention
First of all, we'd encourage you to read our recent article, Fire Prevention: Top 10 Residential Fire Sources. It outlines the most common causes of residential fires, and how to avoid each source of danger. This information can help you rethink how you use potential fire sources in your home—extinguishing candles cautiously, keeping heaters far from other flammable objects, and so on.
Much of your time should be spent on fire prevention, since a fire can't burn down your home if it's never ignited in the first place. However, it's still important to plan ahead for unavoidable scenarios, because it's impossible to have a 100% foolproof fire prevention plan.
Preparation
In the event that your preventative measures have failed, you need to be prepared in order to stay safe. Prepping for a residential fire should include the following measures:
Install smoke alarms in every part of the home. Ideally, you'll want interconnected alarms, so that if one alarm goes off, all alarms sound at the same time. This ensures a fire won't have time to spread out of control before you're alerted.
Make sure you have fire extinguishers in place, and properly maintained. Extinguishers should be inspected at least once a year, and recharged or replaced if necessary. If you have a small fire to put out, you don't want to be stuck with a useless extinguisher.
Ensure all doors and windows can be opened easily. If your home has security bars on the windows, make sure they include emergency-release latches on the inside, so you can detach the bars if necessary.
Check that your home's street number is clearly visible from the road, so firefighters can find you quickly. Consider repainting curbs or adding stick-on numbers to your mailbox if necessary.
Follow these guidelines from the U.S. Fire Administration:
Escape
This point ties in with the preparation stage, but focuses more on what to do if you know there's a fire in your home, and it has already grown out of control. In that case, you'll need to get out as quickly as possible.
The USFA and FEMA recommend creating and practicing a home fire escape plan.
Here are the basic steps for a fire escape plan:
Draw a map or blueprint of each level of your home, including all doors and windows. Also mark the location of each fire extinguisher and smoke alarm on this map.
Ensure that there are at least two viable escape routes from each room. For second-floor windows, collapsible fire escape ladders (like this one) should be stored inside each room, and all residents should be trained on how to use them.
Discuss the possible escape routes from each room with all members of your family. Make sure that kids understand how to escape on their own, in case you can't get to them.
Practice the fire drill repeatedly. First, try it during the day to get the basics down. Then, try planning a nighttime fire drill with your family, to check that everyone wakes up from the alarm and can escape the home in the dark.
Check that everyone understands to crawl outside if there is smoke present. Smoke inhalation is one of the biggest dangers in a residential fire.
Place bug-out bags along this escape route, and include essential or irreplaceable items inside each bag. These bags can be used in the event of any emergency, not just a fire.
Once you're outside, stay outside! Don't re-enter the home for any reason if there is a fire inside—wait for the fire department to clear the home, if necessary. Re-entering the home to rescue another family member or pet could easily result in more loss of life.
With these simple steps of prevention, preparation, and escape, you can be ready in case a fire affects your home. Adequate preparation can help you and your family survive the unthinkable. Even if you can't save your home, escaping safely with a stocked bug-out bag sure beats shivering on the curb in your pajamas.
Compared to other common causes of death (see below), a home fire might not be one of the grim reaper’s favorites, but it still wreaks havoc in the United States every year. A home fire can go from a small spark to a raging inferno in under five minutes. In 2013, 1.24 million fires in the USA caused 3,240 deaths, almost 16,000 injuries, and $11.5 billion in damages, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. The National Interagency Fire Center — which compiles annual statistics for federal and state agencies — reports that more than 10 million acres were destroyed by wildfires in 2015. With warm weather and many fire-prone regions experiencing droughts, we take a closer look at home fire facts as well as the most common causes.
Top 3 Most Common Causes of Home Fires:
Cooking – 50%
Heating – 12.5%
Electrical – 6.3%
Home Fire Deaths Compared to Most Common Causes of Death:
Fire – 3,275
Heart Disease – 614,348
Cancer – 591,699
Chronic Lower Respiratory Diseases – 147,101
Accidents – 136,053
More Home Fire Resources:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention > www.cdc.gov
This article about fire prevention and house fires originally appeared in Issue 9 of our magazine.
While many people associate dry summer weather and 4th of July fireworks with wildfires, house fire season never truly ends. In fact, according to the U.S. Fire Administration, Halloween brings a spike in reported blazes thanks to decorations igniting and arsonists starting mischief, while cooking for the Thanksgiving holiday is the leading cause of residential structure fires. And as you might have seen in our feature “No Rain Delay” in Issue 7, we showed how it’s possible to start a fire in inclement weather.
So, naturally, in this article we’re going to teach you fire prevention measures — or at least help you reduce the probability of a house fire. Some of the logic we offered in Issue 7 for getting a fire going can be used in reverse to keep it from starting or to extinguish it before it’s out of control.
As always, your mind is the most powerful survival tool at your disposal — so teach it, train it, and most of all keep it focused on the solution rather than the problem. When it comes to blazes destroying your property, that problem can often be started with a wildfire, a kitchen fire, an act of arson, or a negligent neighbor who fell asleep while smoking. To avert your home from being engulfed in an inferno, it starts with what Benjamin Franklin long ago suggested: prevention.
House Fire Prevention: Landscaping
Above: This house and its balcony are surrounded by bushes and trees, all perfect tinder for a passing wildfire. A common fire prevention method involves clearing brush so there’s a defensible space around the dwelling.
When we discussed the flammability of resources in the wild, we pointed out that certain types of tree bark are easily combustible while others are not. For example, pine bark is not very flammable and, as such, is often used as ground cover in landscaping. However, the “crown” of a pine tree (the top of the tree with pine sap oozing from it) is very flammable. You may remember in Issue 7 that we used wet pine needles to start our fire in the rain. With that in mind, a growing fire could have a difficult time reaching the crowns without “ladder fuels.” Ladder fuels are shrubs, plants, and debris near the ground that can catch fire and spread the flames to the tops of the trees, igniting them like giant match sticks. Once the tops of the trees catch fire, they easily pass the flames laterally from crown to crown even if there’s no fire on the ground.
Above: Pine bark might not be very flammable, but the needles, and particularly the crown of a pine tree, are quite the opposite.
It may seem like a no-brainer, but it needs to be made brutally clear: It’s necessary to clear dead brush, branches, and leaves away from areas you wish to prevent fire from damaging — be it your abode, your office, your campsite, or your bug-out location.
Above: Dead leaves are the perfect fuel for an inferno. Remove them promptly to take away a fire’s ammo.
Some of the worst culprits of being ladder fuels are decorative and ornate plants that are desirable to the eye, but are dangerous nonetheless. One of these is the coveted manzanita bush. Manzanita bushes have deep red branches and tiny lush red “apples” that, when in season, are considered beautiful by many. Alas, a 3-foot-high manzanita bush can emit flames more than 20 feet high when fully engulfed.
Above: Found throughout western North America, manzanita is used as an ornamental plant because of its looks and drought-tolerant characteristics. Unfortunately, it’s also a “ladder fuel” that can spread flames. Keep them away from your house and other, taller trees.
Each geographic area has its own plants to be aware of, so we don’t have the space in this story to list them all. Fortunately, most fire departments can do an analysis of your property for such plants and help you prevent a house fire.
If there were a fire, it could easily jump from these bushes to the patio in a flash.
House Fire Prevention: Other Fuels
There are other plenty of other things in and around your home that can light up your property like a Christmas tree — and there’s a good chance you either put it there or paid someone to put it there. These everyday objects include decks, balconies, wood siding, stacked lumber, and anything else that can fuel combustion. A vital fire prevention tip is to look around and try to find things that could spread the burning to your house. Look for dead branches on trees that can be cut or a buildup of dead leaves or pine needles in your rain gutters. Try to imagine flying embers landing on or near your home and identify the things that could be ignited by them.
As mentioned before, your local fire department will most likely come and assess your property and make suggestions about how to minimize the risk of fire. It’s a good idea to do this sooner rather than later; if a home is fully engulfed, firefighters cannot save it and will turn their attention to homes that can be saved. You definitely want your property to be one they think they can save!
House Fire Suppression
OK, so what if the fire starts inside your home? It is not uncommon for house fires to start from in house activities and or build flaws. Sure, you might be the most careful, risk-averse person on the planet, but accidents still happen. It’s time to brush up on basic fire suppression techniques.
Water Whether it’s rain dampening a forest fire or a firefighter’s hose making short work of an urban fire, water is one of the most reliable flame extinguishers available. It’s worth mentioning that fire prevention when camping is important, we should fully saturate a campfire with water, turning over each piece of wood to make sure it’s completely extinguished before leaving.
Solids in the Kitchen While water is an age-old fire killer, it’s common knowledge that you shouldn’t use it to put out a grease fire on your stove because H2O will actually make the fire worse. It’s better to use a solid — like salt, flour, or baking soda — to smother it. Also, you could use a lid to cover the pan and eliminate the fire’s access to oxygen.
Solids Outside the Kitchen Electrical fires can be dealt with in much the same way, but can be smothered with a blanket, heavy clothing, or a towel. Just be wary of using smothering materials made of synthetics like polyester, which could melt under intense heat. Oh, and like a grease fire, using water on an electrical fire will only make things worse.
Extinguisher These devices are compact, relatively inexpensive, and easy to use (though be sure to read the instructions). Most people know that when using a fire extinguisher, it’s better to direct the extinguishing agent at the base of the fire and not at the flames.
Gels & Foams Most people buy fire extinguishers and place them in rooms where a fire is likely to start, such as the kitchen, the garage, or near the water heater. That may be enough to extinguish a small fire, but what if a massive neighborhood-consuming blaze is approaching? The next step is to buy a fire suppression gel or foam that can coat your home, campsite, or vehicle in the event of an approaching fire. Some available brands are Barricade, Phos-Chek, and Thermo-Gel.
How do these gels work? Essentially, the homeowner attaches a gallon-jug of this substance to a garden hose and sprays it on just about any surface. A 4-gallon case will cover approximately 2,000 square feet, including trees, shrubs, and plants to create a fire-break, which is a sort of thermal shield against radiant heat and direct flames. The treatment can last up to 36 hours depending on environmental conditions. High temperature, strong winds, and low humidity will reduce the time span of the product’s effectiveness, which could be as short as six hours. The product effectiveness can be extended by very lightly misting the product with water. It should be noted that a thicker application will also improve the overall effectiveness.
Note: Fire gel and foam systems are dependent on the water pressure at your facility. Water pressure is often reduced during a fire due to the extreme amount of water being sucked out of the fire hydrants. Also, if you’re on a water well system, you may not have sufficient pressure to effectively douse your property. Fortunately, there are alternative solutions that aren’t dependent on water pressure from existing utilities. These systems pump water from an available water source — such as a pool, pond, water tank, hot tub, or jacuzzi — and combine that water with the gel or foam solution. The difference in price is often based upon water flow, calculated in gallons per minute, and the quality of the pump itself. There are many companies offering these products so you can do your own research and choose the product and/or supplier that best meets your needs.
Conclusion
We’re not suggesting that you try to fight a fire yourself unless there is no other alternative. You should definitely evacuate when directed to do so by the fire professionals. Remember, the fire gel and the other aforementioned techniques are designed to give you a little more time to pack up the kids, vital items, and provisions before bugging out while also giving you hope that your home will still be there when the fire has passed.
Fire suppression is not too dissimilar from any other topic we cover in the sense that much of your success can be determined in advance by proper planning and training. If you have already performed fire prevention landscaping and acquired fire-protection materials before the SHTF, you can focus on the timely application of said products and on getting your loved ones to a safe zone both quickly and safely. Like we said, your mind is the most powerful survival tool at your disposal, so if you can keep your head in the game, you have a much better chance of winning.
Plowing headlong into a snow drift was not exactly what you had in mind when you set off in your car that evening. Nor were you expecting the blizzard that caused this unscheduled stop, since the forecast had only called for flurries. But Mother Nature had other plans that night, very different from the ones you had made. Her plans involved a whiteout and the fool who dared to drive in it. Hope you brought a winter car emergency kit with a good sleeping bag, and spent some time preparing your vehicle for cold weather — you’re facing a winter survival situation, spending a sub-freezing night in your car.
Your sweet new ride may have the works — seat warmers, HID lights, winter tires, and four-wheel drive at the push of a button. Fine capabilities, to be sure. But does it have the things onboard that are actually important?
With space-age advances in design, materials, and vehicle safety, driving in the winter doesn’t seem as intimidating as it once was. But that’s no reason to drive off into the storm, as if looking for trouble. Thousands of vehicles (both high-end and jalopy) expire on the side of road every winter. And what if it’s not engine trouble that leaves you stranded? What if the highway is just gridlocked from an accident, leaving you and hundreds of other motorists hopelessly stuck in the cold? Or perhaps you ran out of gas or had a tire blow out late at night on a remote frozen road. It’s not unthinkable either, to find yourself stranded in the middle of a sudden snowstorm or careening into a snowbank — whether you live in suburbia or far from it.
Winter can be a beautiful season, but don’t let the snowy wonderland fool you into complacency. The cold can kill, just as surely as weapons, and this means that you need a defense against it. Curious what you’ll need in your winter car emergency kit to win the cage match between you and the winter weather? Read on to find out more on what gear you’ll need and how to use it.
Winter Car Emergency Kit: Communications
This is the first type of gear that can get you out of a roadside winter survival situation. Since most people carry mobile phones these days, the only other thing you’d really need is a way to recharge it. A car charger or battery backup pack is essential for your winter car emergency kit and can keep your phone powered and allow you to call for assistance — providing that you have signal. Try sending a text message if calls won’t connect and consider a satellite phone for way-off-grid driving (see OFFGRID’s Spring 2014 issue for more on satellite phones).
For up close and personal forms of communication — like to other motorists — keep an assortment of road flares and reflective signs in the vehicle. Thirty-minute road flares can alert other drivers of your distress and have an added benefit of being able to start fires. Reflective signs are also handy, since flares last only so long. Get reflective signals that are large, free standing, and heavy, so that the wind or vehicles won’t blow them over.
Winter Car Emergency Kit: Warmth
If you can’t reach anyone on the phone, you may be on your own for a while. First and foremost, you’ll need items for warmth in a winter survival situation. Blankets, sleeping bags, parkas, and snow suits are all acceptable forms of insulation to have in your winter car emergency kit. Keep at least one item like this for each seat in your vehicle. This will provide shelter for each potential passenger and the driver. And stay in the car in the event of a breakdown in frigid conditions. Sure, you can run the engine periodically and use the heater to warm up. But this trick is not without its problems (see the “Big Mistakes to Avoid” sidebar elsewhere in this story), and should be done sparingly. The average vehicle is a surprisingly decent form of shelter, keeping out wind and precipitation. Still, it’ll make a cold tomb without warmth.
Winter Car Emergency Kit: Food and Water
Since dehydration can still happen in the cold, a supply of water should be part of your winter car emergency kit. It can also top off a leaking radiator. Most store-bought drinking water in plastic bottles are a fine choice, since they can freeze and expand without bursting.
You’ll also want calories to keep you warm and fill your hungry belly. A non-perishable food supply will deliver energy and a major morale boost. Select high-energy food (high fat content) and don’t pack items that will be difficult to eat if frozen. We’re a big fan of peanut butter and crackers for food stashes like this.
Winter Car Emergency Kit: Tools
If you’re the handy sort, or lucky enough to run into someone who is, you can use some basic vehicle tools and equipment to get you out of trouble. Consider the following items:
A heavy-gauge set of jumper cables can allow another car to jump your cold-crippled battery, providing you have another vehicle that’s running. Consider a “jump pack,” which is a portable battery-powered jump starter, if you often travel lonely roads.
Hand tools are also useful. A hammer, a socket set, some duct tape, and adjustable wrenches can be lifesavers when working on vehicles. Keep a few sizes and types of pliers, too — they’re handy if you must pull a nail from your tire, swap out your battery, or mend a malfunction. Don’t forget to bring a small shovel, which is useful for many tasks, i.e. digging out your tires if you’re stuck in snow.
A nylon recovery strap should be part of every winter car emergency kit. They can pull your vehicle out of a ditch, a snow bank, or a frozen swamp, should there be a sturdy vehicle to yank on the other end. Choose a thick and heavy strap that has no metal parts, just loops on the ends. This is important because a strap can break when towing, launching the metal hooks through windshields or at hapless bystanders. Prepare yourself for the specifics of vehicle recovery by asking an expert or researching techniques online.
Tire repair items can get you back on the road. Grab a can of “fix the flat” type tire mending spray, which can fill and seal small holes in a flat tire.
Add a tire plug kit for handling bigger repairs. The plug kit comes with glue, a few specialized tools, and some rubber/fiber strips, which can fill big holes in your tire’s tread. If you’ve never plugged a tire before, it’s a good idea to practice on an old tire before you get a puncture and find yourself learning on the job at the side of a frozen road.
You’ll need some air to finish off the job. It’s a good idea to carry a small air compressor that plugs into a vehicle’s cigarette lighter or power port. Make sure the compressor you choose has the power to inflate your vehicle’s tires, as air capacity and pressure requirements for car and truck tires can vary greatly. And yes, we’ve had to use our compressors several times.
You’ll need a tire iron to break the lug nuts loose on each wheel and a jack to raise and lower the vehicle for tire changes or other repairs. A short section of pipe can slip over your tire iron to provide additional leverage. A gas siphon hose and a spare jug can be valuable, too.
A first-aid kit is a must for your winter car emergency kit. It’s not always the car that needs a repair — sometimes a passenger or driver needs to be patched up as well. A good first-aid kit serves many purposes, and gauze makes a great emergency fire starter.
Flashlights or headlamps, with spare batteries, should be standard equipment in any car. It gets dark under the hood when the battery is dead, and night is never too far away.
A spare tire was once included with almost every new car, but today, many cars are not sold with a spare at all — not even a dinky little emergency tire. Whether your vehicle came with a spare or not, get a full-sized spare tire for emergency replacement.
Small fire extinguishers can put out small fires in a vehicle, preventing greater damage and loss. But don’t try to play firefighter if you think that gasoline is involved. Get at least 50 yards away from a vehicle on fire, and stay away!
Winter Survival: Extreme Situations
It would be bad enough to be stranded in a blizzard, but things could always be worse. What if your car, your only source of shelter, caught fire? Or what if it slid off the road into water? If you’re lucky enough to escape, you’re now completely exposed to the elements, and you may even be soaking wet. Here are two scenarios where bad turns to worse, and how to deal with these Winter Survival dilemmas:
Vehicle Fires
Due to the electricity and flammable fluids pumping through your vehicle, it’s possible that a vehicle fire could be the cause of your roadside winter survival situation. These fires can accompany car crashes, or they can happen spontaneously. On the upside, a “car-be-que” is a phenomenal signal for help. On the downside, you’ve probably lost most of your survival gear and definitely lost your shelter. If your vehicle catches fire, on its own or due to a collision, get away from it as quickly as you can. The automobile won’t explode as TV and movies suggest, but with the burning plastic, fuel, and oil, the heat can be intense and the fumes toxic.
Submerged Vehicles
One of the most nightmarish vehicle scenarios is when your car gets submerged in water — with you in it! Your beloved car can become your watery grave if you slide off the road into a pond, river, or lake. You have only seconds to react, so it’s critical that you don’t panic and get out fast. This situation is bad enough, even if you escape the vehicle you will be facing a serious winter survival situation. Being soaking wet and frigid temperatures can quickly lead to hypothermia.
Winter Survival: Big Mistakes to Avoid
There are some dangerous things that stranded motorists do. Sometimes, the hazards aren’t always that obvious. Consider avoiding these potentially dangerous mistakes:
Leaving Your Engine On
If you’re stuck in your vehicle in subzero temperatures, your first instinct might be to turn on the engine to run the heater. But if the exhaust pipe is partially blocked, the tradeoff for warmth could come at a disastrous price. Snow, mud, or water can create a blockage on the exhaust system, causing deadly carbon monoxide (CO) to flood the vehicle cabin. Because it’s colorless, odorless, and tasteless, CO can build up undetected and could knock you out and eventually kill you. If you must, turn on your engine sparingly and only for brief periods of time.
Leaving Your Car Covered
In a blizzard, snow and sleet can fall fast and furiously. If you don’t work to keep your car clear, it can be blanketed in the white stuff in no time. In this survival situation, camouflaging can mean death. You have to stay visible so rescuers or passersby can spot you quickly. And the last thing you need is to have a snowplow crash into you because they thought that your pile of powder was just another snowdrift. Keep the hood and windows cleared so that you can see out and good Samaritans can see in. Hang up something colorful above the vehicle, such as a red handkerchief from your antenna. If your car is a late-model sedan and doesn’t have an external antenna, snap off a tree branch, plant it into the snow near your car, and tie the handkerchief to the top of it.
Leaving Your Vehicle
Even if it’s not a complete whiteout, cold weather can still take a massive toll on your body in a short amount of time. Leaving your car to find help without the right gear or a clear plan could actually do much more harm than good. Don’t turn into a human popsicle. Stay in your vehicle, unless it’s to remove mounting snow from your windows and hood or it’s clear that help or a passing motorist is nearby.
Unfasten your seatbelt (after the vehicle has impacted the water). Make sure any passengers have done the same. Roll down only one window, preferably before the car sinks. (Because there’s no guarantee your window will work after you’ve hit the water, you should consider having a window-breaking device on your everyday-carry knife or someplace easily accessible in your car.) Note that once the car has begun to sink, you will not be able to open any doors until it completely fills with water, due to the difference in pressure inside and outside the car. Take in a deep breath and climb out. Make sure everyone is out, and swim to dry land. Try to get help immediately, as wet clothing will lead to hypothermia in minutes during colder weather.
Winter Survival: Safety Precautions
There are no guarantees you’ll make it through all the winter survival emergencies that might happen when you’re driving, but there are a few things that will help improve your odds and increase your comfort. Always consider the following:
Wear a seatbelt
Drive the speed limit on dry roads, way under the limit in inclement weather
Drive a vehicle with the highest safety ratings you can afford
Eliminate loose objects in the vehicle cabin, lest they become dangerous projectiles in a crash
Like a bug-out bag, stock up your car for winter (or Armageddon, whichever comes first)
Bring a small bucket with a tight-fitting lid and a roll of toilet paper…you’ll be glad you did after your first bathroom break
Hot Rocks: A Flameless Way to Stay Warm
Generally speaking, fire inside a vehicle is a bad thing. Even if it’s just a candle flame, it gobbles up oxygen and could light your blanket and clothing on fire. There's also the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning in an enclosed space. If you find yourself in need of warmth and fire is your only means, you can use an ancient survival technique that has many applications in the modern world: hot rocks.
If you can get a fire going outside of the vehicle, collect a few rocks from a dry location (don’t use rocks pulled out of water — they could explode when the steam inside builds). Leave the rocks in the fire for a few minutes, and in the meantime pull up the carpet from one spot on the vehicle’s floor, exposing bare metal. Use sticks or your shovel to scoop up the rocks after 15 or 20 minutes of heating and place them on the bare floor in the car. Keep bedding and fabrics away from the rocks, and bask in their warm radiance. Repeat as needed.
Conclusion
An ounce of prevention and a pound of stay-the-hell home make a great recipe for winter survival when driving conditions are poor. But if you must go out (be it for your livelihood or to flee a whole other disaster), make sure the vehicle is well stocked with a winter car emergency kit that contains tools, backups, and supplies. Actively consider what you would need to live out of that vehicle, and how you would do it. Throw some extra food in there and some sanity-savers, such as classic novels you’ve always wanted to read, a notepad to write journal entries, or a deck of cards to pass the time.
Most important of all, carry an abundance of cold-weather sleeping bags, blankets, and arctic-approved outerwear. And finally, stay with the vehicle. It’s both your shelter and your signal for help.
Winter Car Emergency Kit Checklist
Device Charging
Power Bank
Car Charger
Emergency Signaling
Flares
Reflective Signs
Warmth and Insulation
Blankets
Sleeping Bags
Change of Clothes
Backup Winter Foot Wear
Nutrition
Water Bottles
Protein Bars
Non-Perishable Food
Tools
Jump Starter
Hand Tools
Recovery Straps
Tire Plug Kit
Tire Iron
Jack
Air Compressor
First Aid
Basic First Aid Kit
Bleeding Control Items
Lighting
Flashlight
Headlamp
Lantern
Batteries/Power Bank
Emergency Items
Fire Extinguisher
Glass Breaker
Full Sized Spare Tire
About the Author
Tim MacWelch has been a survival instructor for the past 18 years and has trained everyone from civilians to all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces, the Department of Defense, Department of Justice, and the State Department. He is a public speaker on preparedness and the author of the survival books, Prepare for Anything and Hunting And Gathering Survival Manual. When he’s not teaching or writing about survival, MacWelch lives a self-reliant lifestyle with his family in Virginia.
For more, follow him on Twitter @timmacwelch or go to www.advancedsurvivaltraining.com.
This article originally appeared in Issue 6 of OFFGRID MAGAZINE.
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Notable Features
With the Seiko NH35 at its center this is a precision instrument you can count on. The Seiko NH35, a self-winding automatic movement. NH35 is known for its accuracy, performance, and precision.
A true tool timepiece, the Master Diver harkens back to the old days of the classic dive watch. Winfield balances the beauty of simplicity with rugged toughness perfectly. With a case diameter of 44mm this is not a dainty watch by any measure. The 13.5mm domed sapphire crystal is 3mm thick with double anti-reflective coating to reduce your visual signature and to increase visibility for the user.
The dial has a matte black finish with 6 layers of Swiss Super-LumiNova C3 at the hour positions tastefully including the date window at the 3 O’clock position. You will not struggle to read the face of your Master Diver given the dial size and amount of illumination that can be generated at the number positions. The chapter ring supplies the 24 hour military time honoring their time in service, truly finishing finalizing the Winfield design.
Each watch is fitted with double case back gaskets and individually pressure tested to 200mm/660 feet. The case is 316L surgical-grade stainless steel to further ensure longevity in any environment your expeditions may take you. The bezel edge and crown are highly polished in heavy contrast to the matte black finish of the watch dial, bezel, and FKM band. The band is dirt and dust resistant and is molded for comfort and versatility. The underside of the band features scalloped concave relief cuts to promote comfort and breathability.
Drawbacks
Like all watches, the Winfield Master Diver does not come without its drawbacks. The same features that make the Winfield Master Diver a rugged and durable dive watch also adds significant weight and bulk. While this may not present a challenge in the field, it is less suited for an office environment, especially when spending extended times working on your laptop's keyboard.
The weight and bulk of the case may be uncomfortable or awkward for people with smaller wrists or are just simply accustomed to wearing a slimmer watch style. Those who who wear button down long sleeved shirts or suit jackets at work may find the width and height of the case difficult to manage.
A modern smart watch or slimmer dress watch may be a better option for formal dress and office work. The Master Diver is a capable option for everyday life as long as you are comfortable with a bulky watch. However, it may be best suited for those who are making a conscious choice to unplug and live an adventurous lifestyle.
In the Box
Each Winfield comes with a 12” x 6” waxed canvas tool roll with a leather strap closure. Outfitted with four internal pockets for additional watches, extra bands, and tools, the roll provides an ideal surface to work on, and helps catch dropped pins when changing bands.
An additional NATO band is included with the Master Diver. Don’t let the NATO band fool you. This is not your run of the mill flimsy thin strap. The case lugs call for a wider band of 22mm. The seat belt-thick nylon gives added durability while still feeling quite palatial. You’ll find the Winfield name engraved in the buckle of each high quality band and strap. NATO straps are available in Ranger Green, Gray, Blue, and Tan.
A brushed metal warranty registration card will be found tucked into the waxed canvas roll as well. This is another classy touch from Winfield that provides you with the serial number and date of purchase to track the two year transferable warranty of your new timepiece.
Final Thoughts
Like all tools, the Winfield Master Diver may not be suited for every application. If you are in the market for an easy wearing dress watch for days on the computer or at the office, there may be better options out there. However, if you are in the market for a overbuilt, rugged, and reliable time piece that won't let you down in when in the field the Master Diver may be exactly what you are looking for.
Being an automatic dive watch you get the benefits of never having to worry about a dead battery or plugging in. The sealed case ensures that dust, water, and all other manners of grime and liquid will never impact performance. Multiple strap options included in the box allows the wearer to choose the option that works best for their personal comfort and intended use. All this functionality is topped off with excellent design and build quality resulting in a functional dive watch that looks as good as it performs!
Wearing a Winfield is more than a choice, it's a statement. It emulates the wearer’s adventurous spirt and appreciation for craftsmanship, heritage, and attention to detail.
Winfield Master Diver Automatic Dive Watch Specs
Case: Brushed and polished 316L surgical-grade stainless steel, drilled lugs, dual case back gaskets, metal movement holder
Crown: Screw-down with double gaskets
Crystal: 3mm flat sapphire with double anti-reflective coating
Bezel: Stainless steel uni-directional 120 click
Hands: Polished stainless steel
Date: 3:00 position
Lume: Six layers of Swiss Super-LumiNova C3
Water resistance: 200m / 660 feet, individually pressure tested
Movement: Seiko NH35 Automatic regulated in 6 positions
Winfield Master Diver Automatic Dive Watch Case Dimensions
The cold winter months bring about some serious issues for outdoor enthusiasts and those who may inadvertently go stuck outside for an extended period of time. Snow, wind, and freezing temperatures can make the terrain more difficult to navigate and make roads dangerous. Beyond the terrain challenges one of the biggest threats to our health and safety in the winter months is hypothermia. Understanding the basics of how hypothermia can occur, what can be done to prevent it, and how to treat someone in a hypothermic state can go a long way to helping us healthy and prepared in the cold seasons!
What is Hypothermia?
Hypothermia is caused by a drop in core body temperature below 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Hypothermia impacts a number of essential systems in our bodies including our cardiovascular nervous, and respiratory systems. If left untreated hypothermia can lead to a total failure of one or all of these systems resulting in death. Even if hypothermia is treated in severe cases long-term damage to the body is possible from a reduction of blood flow. This is most common in arms, legs, hands, and feet.
How Hypothermia Occurs
Hypothermia occurs when our bodies lose heat faster than it can produce heat. Most of the body’s heat loss will occur through the skin, 90% of heat loss occurs through your skin. The other 10% of the body’s heat loss occurs through the respiration (breathing) process.
Hypothermia is commonly caused by extended exposure to cold temperatures or being submerged in cold water. While this most commonly occurs in the winter months, it is possible to become hypothermic in warmer conditions. In spring the air temperature is warm, but water can still be very cold, extended submersion in recently thawed water can easily trigger hypothermia. Wind exposure also increases the risk of hypothermia, as the wind will displace the thin layer of warm air that surrounds our skin.
Young children and the older adults are more susceptible to hypothermia than other groups. While hypothermia is most common in temperatures below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, it is possible that long-term exposure of 60 degrees or less can lead to hypothermia in these more sensitive groups.
Signs and Symptoms of Hypothermia
Shivering uncontrollably in the early stages
Slow, shallow breathing
Feeling of being drowsy or exhausted
Slurred Speech
Loss of coordination and motor function
Slow and/or weak pulse
In severe cases loss of consciousness and very little signs of breathing or pulse
Hypothermia isn't only a concern in cold weather. A moisture-wicking base layer will keep your skin dry, reducing your risk of this condition.
Preventing Hypothermia: Avoiding Extreme Cold
Preventing hypothermia is far better than having to treat hypothermia. There are a number of steps we can take to prevent our bodies from going into a hypothermic state.
Let’s face it, even if you love the great outdoors there are times we should avoid it. During periods of extreme cold and wind, it is in our best interest to avoid prolonged exposure. The misconception that people often have is that if there is no snow, they will be safe outdoors in the winter. This is unfortunately a life-threatening misconception. It is also important to remember that the wind has a large impact on how fast our body cools and loses heat.
Preventing Hypothermia: Proper Clothing and Layering
If you can’t avoid the cold, ensuring we have the appropriate clothing and outerwear is very important. Creating layers that will help insulate our body is vital for any long-term cold exposure.
Base Layer: base layers typically go beneath your other clothing, while there are many material options sold I only recommend a wool base layer. Wool is a natural material that animals use to help regulate their body temperature. Unlike cotton wool retains the ability to keep you warm when wet, and unlike synthetic materials, wool is naturally fire-resistant. For my base layer, I use Merino wool from head to toe. Wool socks are especially important as they will keep your feet warm and reduce the absorption of sweat and help prevent damage to your foot tissue.
Mid Layer: This layer consists of your regular clothes, pants, shirt, etc. Again avoiding standard cotton is a good idea, especially if you may get wet or plan on being very active and generating sweat. Materials that can absorb water from rain of melting snow will diminish our ability to stay warm, especially if we are facing declining temperatures throughout the day. Water resistant or waterproof pants can help prevent the loss of body heat.
Keeping your core warm is vital. Your heart will be pumping blood from your core through your body and cooler blood will be returning from your extremities. In extreme temperatures including a fleece or insulated vest will go a long way to keeping your core warm..
Outer Layer: This consists of your coat, hat, gloves, and shoe/boot. It is important that you get the appropriate outer layers, as most “fashion” hats, gloves, and coats will do very little to protect you from the elements. An insulated coat or parka is the way to go, and I highly recommend you have one that is waterproof in the case of snow or rain. Wool beanies and gloves can serve as a good outer layer for your head and hands or be placed under a thicker hat and glove. For your feet, a solid boot hiking boot that is waterproof is beneficial because the waterproofing often serves as insulation. For long-term extreme cold situations, insulated boots are a good choice.
Synthetic Fire starters such as the Black Beard Fire Plugs and Wazoo Fire Cards can produce a hot flame even when wet.
Preventing Hypothermia: Build a Fire
Fire provides warmth, light, and so much more; having the ability to build a fire, especially one large enough to produce enough warmth to heat your body is very important. Wet conditions and high winds may make this task difficult.
I always recommend keeping some water-resistant fire-starting material in your survival kits. With some practice, you can get a fire started with these tinder sources even in adverse conditions.
Tips for Treatment for Hypothermia
Even with all of our efforts to prevent hypothermia from occurring it is still very possible to succumb to it, or encounter someone else who is in a hypothermic state. These guidelines can help in an emergency situation, but it is still important to contact emergency medical professionals in the case that you or someone else is in a hypothermic state.
If possible, bring the person indoors, if not do your best to insulate them from the cold ground.
Remove any wet clothing and replace it with warm dry clothing if possible.
Rewarm the person focusing on their core using extra clothing and blankets.
Do not warm extremities first (arms and legs) as this can cause arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat)
Do not put in a warm shower or bath as this can cause arrhythmia.
If conscious offer warm fluids, without caffeine or alcohol as they can speed heat loss.
If the person is unconscious begin CPR and contact emergency medical personnel immediately.
Cold Weather Vehicle Considerations
People often mistakenly view their vehicles as a potential shelter from the extreme cold. If the vehicle is not running its does not produce heat and will quickly become very cold inside. While this may shelter you from the wind, it will, at best delay hypothermia. What vehicles do provide us is the ability to store some essential supplies.
Blankets: Keeping blankets in your vehicle, especially wool blankets, can provide us a much-needed form of insulation in a cold weather emergency.
Spare Clothing: Travel with a spare set of appropriate winter clothing. If the clothing you are wearing become wet, it hurt us more than they help us and can lead to hypothermia. That spare set of warm and dry clothing can potentially save your life.
Survival Kit: Having a survival kit, especially one that provides a means of making fire and the tools you may need to build a makeshift shelter is very valuable in an extreme cold survival situation.
Fuel: It is important to ensure your vehicle has as close to a full tank of gas as possible during the cold months as the ability to keep your heat running as long as possible is vital in an emergency.
Maintenance: Just as the winter is hard on our bodies, it is also hard on our vehicles. Making sure maintenance is up to date will help prevent unexpected vehicle breakdowns in extreme cold conditions.
With winter upon us, it is time to adjust my go bag to help sustain me through the colder months. When temperatures drop, many survival priorities change and the survival kit that was built for warm weather lacks many essentials needed to take on freezing temperatures, snow, and a barren land scape. Building out a winter survival kit requires more space and weight than my typical spring and fall kit, so the satchel I use in temperate months will be switched out for the Badger Claw Outfitters Discovery M1 Backpack. While not as large as a Bug Out Bag, a Go Bag is an easy to carry survival kit that can help us get through short term emergencies.
The cold winter weather produces a number of survival challenges not found in warmer months. Snow, ice, wind, and cold water are all factors that can lead to hypothermia if we are not prepared.
Many survival kit essentials will not change throughout the seasons. Much of the gear and supplies discussed in this article will be practical all year long. However, just as the heat of summer requires special consideration, the freezing temperatures, snow, ice, and lack of natural food sources in the winter must be considered when building an effective go bag.
Go Bag Vs. Bug Out Bag
First things first, let’s look at what a go bag is and how it differs from a bug out bag. Both a go bag and a bug out bag are designed to help you survive when you are on the move. The primary difference between these two survival kits is how long they are designed to sustain you for.
A bug out bag is designed to sustain you over an extended period, typically 3 days or more. Sustainment over time requires a good deal of gear, supplies, and food making the bug out bag large and heavy.
A go bag is similar to the larger bug out bag, but it is only designed to sustain a person for around 24 hours. This allows for the use of a smaller pack and a lighter load. While the go bag lacks all the life sustaining survival items a bug out bag has, it allows for faster movement and less strain on your body while on the go.
While we will be going into detail on how to build a go bag in this article, having a bug out bag is just as important. Read Bug Out Bag Essentials for all the details you need to build a comprehensive multiday survival kit.
How Big Should a Go Bag Be?
While there is no set rule, I tend to build my go bags within the weight limits of a typical hiking pack. Hiking bags should weigh no more than 20% of your total body weight before the addition of food and water. For example, I weigh 200 pounds, so I limit my go bag weight to no more than 20 pounds. Personally, I like to go a bit lighter, with the goal of having the bag closer to 15 pounds for ease movement.
When it comes to picking a bag size something in the 20-to-25-liter range is more than enough space to fit everything you need for a 24-hour period.
The smaller size of the go bag compared to a large bug out bag allows it to be more versatile and useful on a day-to-day basis. I use my go bag as my primary day hiking and daily travel survival kit, ensuring all my vital gear is always with me if an emergency arises.
Winter brings barren landscapes with limited resources. This area is overrun with wild edible plants during the warmer months, all that was found on this outing was a small amount of slime mold. While it is technically edible in small quantities, it has very little taste or nutritional value.
Go Bag Survival Kit Content Considerations
Choosing the right gear for your go bag will depend on your environment, season, where you travel daily, and skill set. When looking at the environment we are primarily looking at the type of location you find yourself in. Do you live in a big city, in the suburbs, or in a rural location? Some equipment is a great fit for some environments and less useful in others. For example, a silcock key may be a valuable tool to access clean water in an urban environment, but it is far less useful in a rural location.
The current season is also important when picking gear for your go bag. During temperate seasons there are few special considerations, but the extreme heat of summer or the cold snow of the winter months both require specialized requirements to ensure your survival kit will sustain you.
Regular travel should be considered. People often live and work in different environments. If you live in a rural area but work in a city you will have to adapt your go bag for both locations and everything in between home and work.
Skill set and experience will play a significant role in your kit. Carry gear you don’t know how to use is just a waste of space and weight. Having a robust skill set will often allow you to do more with less and allow you to carry a smaller survival kit.
The Badger Claw Outfitters Discovery M1 Pack, set up as my winter go bag.
The Badger Claw Outfitters Discovery M1
The M1 Discovery is more than a backpack, it is an entire carry system! This versatile pack was designed to accept several optional pouches and attachments to increase its carry capacity and organization.
Even if you opt to not add any of the additional pouches the M1 Discovery is a highly functional pack. It can hold all your essential survival kit items and be carried comfortably over long distances if needed.
The Discovery M1 has a narrow boxy shape with a wide zipper panel at the top. The pack does not have any kind of built-in frame. This keeps the weight down and relies on the packed gear to provide structure. The straps and narrow profile allow the pack to sit snug to your body allowing for good weight distribution and easy movement.
The Discovery M1is made from durable water resistant Cordura Fabric, the zipper panels have waterproof YKK Zippers.
The pack itself is made from 500D Cordura nylon, a material known for its durability and water resistance. High stress points where the straps attach to the body of the pack are reinforced with high abrasion neoprene Kevlar to provide added durability.
The main compartment is accessed from the top zipper panel and there is one zipper pocket on the front of the pack. Both zippers are highly water resistant YKK zippers. The zippers and Cordura make the Discovery M1 a reasonably water-resistant pack and will keep the survival kit gear inside dry through light rain and snow and will buy you some time to find a dry spot if caught in a heavier rainstorm.
On the sides there are two water bottle holders designed to accommodate 1 liter Nalgene sized bottles securely. There is also some shock cord across the front of the pack so you can stash extra gear on the outside of the pack.
The Discovery M1 has padded mesh back panel and back straps for comfort and breathability.
The back panel and back of the straps the Discovery M1 have padded mesh to increase user comfort and allow for some airflow. The Interior has a single large pocket on the back panel to help organize survival kit gear.
Both the exterior and the interior of the pack have multiple attachment points to accommodate optional pouches or allow the user to add compatible pouches that they currently own.
My Discovery M1 is currently fitted with a large zipper pouch in the front with a small clipper pouch on one of the straps, and an admin pouch on the inside above the large pocket.
While The Discovery M1 is new pack, there are already plans to add additional modular attachment options in the future allowing users to further customize this already versatile pack.
The Large Zipper Pouch is one of the add on modular accessories for the Discovery M1
Badger Claw Outfitters Discover M1 Specs:
Main Body Dimensions: 17”x12”x5”
Volume: 23L
Materials: 500D Cordura, High Abrasion Neoprene Kevlar, Heavy Weight polypropylene nylon webbing, High-density 5mm EVA closed cell foam, and 1/4″ closed cell foam padding with 3mm Berry compliant 3D spacer mesh.
Hardware: ITW Nexus buckles, sliders and d-rings, 4mm shock cord, water resistant YKK #8 zippers
Made In: USA
Price: Base $229, $321 as shown with optional attachments.
Some of the components of my fire kit including Wazoo Gear Fire Cards, Black Beard Fire Plugs, and Storm Matches.
Fire
The ability to make fire is vital in most survival situations. Fire serves as a means of cooking food, boiling water, and producing heat. Fire can also be used to help signal for help and raise morale. In the winter months, producing heat if stuck outdoors is a top priority, and some special consideration is needed when packing fire starting equipment for the winter.
Standard lighters will not always work as well in the extreme cold. Electronic lighters can be an acceptable alternative, but batteries will also deplete faster in cold environments. We must also consider the high levels of moisture from snow and melting snow. Man made tinder and chemical tinder will burn hot even when wet. A ferrocerium rod will work in both cold and wet environments and may give us the edge we need to get a fire started on in the snow or wind.
Winter Go Bag Fire Items:
Bic Lighter: Make fire simple.
Wazoo Tinder Cards: Simple, lightweight flat cards that spark up easily and can be shaved or burned whole depending on my needs.
Black Beard Fire Plugs: Another synthetic tinder option that will burn for up to 5 minutes each. Even if wet, the fire plugs can be pulled apart and easily ignited.
Fatwood Tin: A small tin with assorted fatwood pieces, shavings, and chips as well as some jute twine.
Outdoor Element Fire Flute: This ferro rod has an integrated whistle. Helpful when making a fire and signaling with the whistle.
The Grayl Geopress removes sediment, microbes, and chemical contamination from water. It is also rated for freezing conditions
Water
Water is one the things we can’t go without for very long. When it comes to dehydration, many people immediately think of hot climates, but dehydration is as much of a threat in the winter as it is in the summer. Coats and heavy clothing we wear to shelter us from the harsh winter elements can also cause us to sweat once we start exerting ourselves, which can cause rapid water loss if we are not careful.
Stored water can freeze, so in many cases wild water sources will have to do. Wild water sources can still contain harmful microbes and chemicals in the winter, so boiling and filtering water is a must. Not all water filters are rated for freezing temperatures, so it is important to identify if our filtration is rated for freezing.
Winter Go Bag Water Items:
Badger Claw Outfitters Water Bottle: One liter water bottle that is semi flexible to account for freezing water expansion. Storing the water bottle upside down will help keep the drinking area from completely freezing over. Ice floats and will naturally gravitate to the top of the bottle. By flipping the bottle upside down the ice will develop on the bottom of the bottle rather than the cap area.
Grayl Geopress: Easy to use water filter bottle with impressive filtration capabilities and is rated for freezing temperatures. With a 24-ounce capacity it is also good for storing water if needed. While the water may freeze in the bottle once thawed the filter is still effective. Grayl recommends replacing the filter after 3 freeze/thaw cycles.
Chemical Tabs: Chemical water purification tabs are a redundancy should there be an issue with the filter and I am not capable of boiling water. While the water won’t taste great, the chemical tabs will kill most harmful microbes.
Mountain Ops Electrolytes: Electrolytes are essential to ensuring your body stays properly hydrated. In addition, the salts in electrolyte packets can help prevent stored water from freezing and colored electrolyte powder can even be used as a signaling tool against the white snow.
A few of my shelter items including the PNWBUSHCRAFT Jr. Ground Cloth and Tuff Possum Gear Survival Scarf.
Shelter
Having shelter or carrying the items you need to make a shelter is an important addition to any survival kit. In the winter we may be wearing heavier clothing, but sheltering ourselves from wind, snow, and freezing rain can help extend our ability to survive outdoors longer if needed.
In the winter we need to account for higher winds and the weight on snow and ice when building a shelter, resulting in the need for more durable materials in the build.
Winter Go Bag Shelter Items:
Tarp: A heavy-duty tarp with gromets is an excellent shelter building tool that can help provide much needed cover from the elements, fashioned into a makeshift tent, or used as a large ground cover.
Paracord: Durable paracord is a great choice for building a makeshift shelter and can serve a number of other purposes such as lashing things together, attaching things to your pack or body, and suspending gear from trees to keep it off the ground.
Space Blankets: These light weight mylar blankets can provide extra heat by reflecting your body heat back at you and double as a signaling device. They are not very durable, but they weigh next to nothing, so I pack an extra.
55 Gallon Drum Liner: A large drum liner can serve many purposes including serving as a ground cover, storing extra items, be used to make a litter bed, and used as additional cover if needed.
Tuff Possum Survival Scarf: This is more than a scarf it is a multi-purpose survival tool! The nylon material is sewn together in a tube with one end stitched closed, so when not using it as a scarf it can be stuffed with clothing or fallen leaves to create a pillow, used as extra storage space, and more. The inside is bright orange so it can also be flipped inside out to use as a signaling device.
PNW Bushcraft Jr. Ground Cloth: This small wool and waxed canvas ground cloth provides a clean dry surface to sit on or kneel on. It can double as a workspace to keep your tools and equipment off the wet and snowy ground.
The Garmin 64ST is weather resistant allowing it to be clipped to the outside of my Discovery M1 for easy access.
Navigation
Snow can make navigating in the wild far more difficult. Even a familiar area can look alien when it is covered in snow, especially areas that are less traveled. Paths and trails become impossible to see, and familiar landmarks can be obscured by snow cover.
Packing and knowing how to use a compass can help give you a sense of direction while on the move. A standalone GPS unit can help guide you to snow covered paths or trails, but like all electronics can suffer from faster battery depletion in the cold.
Winter Go Bag Navigation Items:
Garmin 64ST: While this model is a bit older, it is still highly functional with the incorporated USGS topographical map, the ability to pre-plan routes, and easy connection to a smart phone. The GPS receiver works well in most outdoor locations. The unit runs on two AA batteries and has an optional rechargeable battery pack.
Compass: A good quality compass is always a good option, more important than carrying a compass is having the knowledge to use one properly.
The ASP Spectrum Flashlight has UV mode allowing us to see traces that are normally invisible to the naked eye. This is very helpful when tracking animals or people.
Light
A method of light production is something that everyone should have available in their everyday survival kit. Light is even more important for extended emergencies. One advantage to snow is that it is light reflective allowing better visibility from both synthetic light sources and the moon at night.
When considering light sources we must account for cold weather battery drain. In addition, I prefer a light with alternate color modes beyond just white to help preserve my night vision.
Winter Go Bag Light Sources:
ASP Spectrum Strategic Flashlight: Full sized rechargeable flashlight with white, red, blue and UV modes. Useful for general lighting needs, tracking, and preserving night vison using red light mode. With a maximum output of 700 lumens the Spectrum provides more than enough light for most applications and gives excellent run time. The optional holster provides various mounting options that allow for hands-free use of the light.
Thorfire Mini Lantern: Compact stationary light source, rechargeable, and has a hand crank that can be used to keep light going when the power runs out.
The TM Hunt M18 is one serious multi-purpose outdoor tool for chopping, wood processing and more!
Tools
Basic tools can make a big difference in survival situations and play an important role in our survival kits. Knives, multi-tools, saws, hatchets and axes can serve just as well in the winter as they do in the warmer months. When picking tools for winter survival we should consider tools we can effectively use with gloves on.
If we must take our gloves off to use a tool, keep in mind that metal handles can get very cold if exposed to the elements so it’s best to pick other handle materials or keep metal tools close to our body to retain heat.
Winter Go Bag Tools:
TM Hunt M18: Large Multi-purpose outdoor blade for chopping and wood processing. For more on the M18 check out this article.
Silky Pocket Boy Pro: Compact Folding Saw for wood processing.
Dark Energy Poseidon Pro: Back Up Power is essential when relying on electronic items. The Poseidon Pro is rated for outdoor use in inclement weather. It is rugged and both water and temperature resistant allowing you to keep your charge longer.
Leatherman Sidekick: A basic yet reliable multitool can serve several purposes in both outdoor and wilderness environments.
WESN Allman Folding Knife: a simple compact utility-oriented knife that does a fine job with outdoor tasks, especially foraging.
Nite Ize Runoff Pouch: This waterproof pouch will protect any sensitive electronics or documents from the elements. It is also designed to float just in case it ends up falling into the water, making retrieval far easier especially in the cold weather.
The Solo Stove Lite and Stanley Pot are compact and lightweight cooking options.
Food
Food provides valuable fuel to keep our bodies moving. In the cold months we can see a significant increase in caloric burn to help keep our bodies warm so having access to calories is important. While wild food sources may be abundant in the warm months, they can become scarce in the winter.
While a bug out bag allows for the packing of larger food items and equipment, the short term use of a bag bag should keep food and cooking gear to a minimum. In the Winter packing food that is not freeze sensitive can be beneficial, especially when you need a quick refuel. I pack things like protein and adventure bars into the large back pocket of the Discovery M1 to help prevent them from freezing with my body heat.
Winter Go Bag Food and Preparation Items:
Solo Stove Lite: a small, lightweight stove that can be used to cook or boil water with. Natural materials or chemical cubes can be used to produce fire. The closed wall nature of this stove has yielded good results in windy conditions.
Stanly Cook Pot: A compact pot that can be used to cook food and boil water.
Kabar Spork: This polymer spork with stowed polymer steak knife is a great option for cold weather as metal tools can cold and uncomfortable to hold.
Nutrient Survival: Powdered and freeze-dried food options, packed with essential nutrients your body needs to keep moving in high stress scenarios. Some can be cooked, while others can be consumed as a shake.
Mountain Ops Venture Bars: These bars are designed to provide calories, protein, and carbohydrates to give your body the fuel it needs to keep working through sustained physical activity. They are small enough to keep a few in your bag and one or two in your pockets to keep from freezing.
Mountain Ops Ignite: Caffeine and vitamins can serve as a great pick me up. It is also essential for some like me who consumes coffee on a regular basis to avoid caffeine withdrawal symptoms during an emergency.
Wool clothing like this Minus 33 Merino Wool Beanie can keep you warm even if wet. A pair of lined leather work gloves will keep you warm and protect your hands in when performing tasks.
Clothing
In the winter we should be dressing appropriately even for a short excursion away from home because things happen, and you don’t want to be stuck out in the cold without the proper protection from the elements. In warmer months I typically will not carry a change of clothes in my go bag and keep them reserved for a bug out bag.
When in cold climates it is vital to carry a spare set of dry clothes with you. Wet clothing is a major contributor to hypothermia. If you fall into a body of water or your clothing becomes saturated with sweat, getting into fresh dry clothes can keep you alive! I store my spare clothing in a plastic garbage bag to keep them dry should rain or snow enter my pack.
Winter Go Bag Clothing:
Full Change of Base Clothing: Clean and dry pants, shirt, and underwear. Wool base layer and socks.
Minus 33 Merino Wool Beenie: Wool retains its ability to keep you warm even when wet, if you can’t stay dry, wool is a better option than cotton or synthetics.
Badger Claw Leather Lined Leather Gloves: Lined work gloves to keep your hands warm and protect them while doing any kind of bushcraft and survival builds that may come up while on the go.
Yaktrax: While not clothing per se, these crampons slip over your shoes or boots to provide great traction when moving over icy surfaces.
The Auxiliary Manufacturing Pocket Bowie and ASP Defender D2 Sport Attached to the strap of the Discovery M1 for easy access.
Self-Defense
Having something on your person to defend yourself in an emergency is important. With less space then a bug out bag we should keep our go bag defense items compact. In the winter we must keep in mind that some of these tools may be affected by freezing temperatures. Pepper Spray can be slightly less effective, have reduced spray patterns, and canisters can be damaged in extreme cold temperatures. Keeping your pepper spray close to your body can keep it functional.
Firearms can also be damaged or have performance issues with prolonged exposure to freezing temperatures. Proper lubrication and maintenance beforehand can reduce both corrosion and performance issues. For my go bag I like to keep my self defense options small and discreet, with the ability to move them to on body carry if needed.
Winter Go Bag Self Defense:
ASP Defender D1 Sport Pepper Spray: This compact polymer pepper spray features a potent 1.4% capsaicin solution that disperses as a small cloud with an effective range of 5 feet. The canister has enough to produce 6 half second bursts. The unique design allows for the Defender to be held like a flashlight and has an easy-to-use button on the top that will release the spray on the bottom of the unit. The D2 Sport has a pocket clip as well as key ring for multiple carry options.
Auxiliary Manufacturing Pocket Bowie: This compact clip point blade features excellent ergonomics, a slicey blade and a very defined point. With the proper training it is an excellent self defense tool that can also easily handle most basic cutting tasks. Read our full review on the Auxiliary Manufacturing Pocket Bowie.
*ASP Spectrum and TM Hunt M18 can also double as defensive tools
A small emergency bleeding kit housed in in a Tuff Possum Pouch and a SAM Splint.
First Aid and Medical
Basic first aid items to treat a minor injury is a must for any survival kit. A bug out bag allows more room for a comprehensive medical kit, The smaller go bag should have just the essentials to cover a day or two.
Additional items to cover more severe injuries can mean the difference between life and death in an emergency, but only have value with the proper training to use them. In the winter months I pack more items related to slip and fall injuries due to the higher likelihood of losing my footing on snow and ice.
Winter Go Bag First and Medical Equipment:
Bleeding Kit: A basic bleed kit that has a TQ, quick clot, pressure bandages, and other assorted gauze pads.
First Aid: a basic hiking first aid kit to handle minor injuries.
SAM Splint leg and Arm Sizes: With the increased likelihood of myself or someone I am traveling slipping and falling or getting their ankle caught in an unexpected hole I like to carry SAM Splints with so wrap if needed.
The Optional admin panel for the Discovery M1 is a great place to store odds and ends.
Odds and Ends
Some things don’t have a specific category but can be very useful. A simple bandana like the Wazoo Gear Foraging Bandana can fill multiple rolls, a pen, maker, and notebook allow you to take notes and leave notes if needed. A shop cloth can be used to dry your knives or electronic gear after use.
Giving your body fuel to function is often over looked in when packing go bags and bug out bags. Adding simple easy to carry and eat food items to your survival kit like these MTN OPS Venture Bars and Nutrient Survival packs can go a long way to keeping you moving.
Final Thoughts
At the end of my build, the pack came in weight just under 16 pounds, which is close enough to my goal of 15 pounds. I found the BCO Discovery M1 to be a great bag choice. The modular nature of the Discovery M1 will allow for quick additions of storage space if needed and streamlining it to cut bulk can be done in just a minute. I have covered many miles with it already and find it comfortable to carry, easy to access the necessary gear, and everything inside is still relatively dry, though I would like to see an optional rain fly in the future.
Large Bug out bags can provide us with what we need for the long term, but are often difficult to transport due to the size and weight. A go bag provides us with essential tools and equipment we can easily keep close to us to better prepare us for the unexpected. There is no “cookie cutter” template that will work for everyone, especially in the colder months.
While many of our essential needs will not change from season to season, accounting for both our body’s and our equipment’s exposure to the elements is vital. Beyond just accounting for the climate and weather, we must also evaluate our location, personal needs and skill set to ensure we can maximize the life saving efficiency of our survival kit items. Armed with the knowledge of our local environment, an honest evaluation of our abilities, and the proper gear we can better position ourselves to make it through unexpected events and emergency situations safely.
With any gear loadout it is important to train and practice with your gear. You may find you are missing something or have something that is adding weight that you don’t really need.
